Liverpool boss and winner of FIFA’s best manager of the year award Jurgen Klopp has admitted that he’d pick Steven Gerrard to succeed him at Anfield.
The German is yet to tie himself down to the club further than his current contract – set to run for another three years, but hasn’t indicated he’s looking at walking away just yet.
When that time comes, though, Klopp says that Stevie would be a clear option. “If Liverpool were to sack me tomorrow, then maybe Kenny (Dalglish) would be the first choice to replace me,” he told FourFourTwo.
“But they would probably bring Stevie down from Glasgow. If you ask who should follow me, I’d say Stevie. I help him whenever I can.”
Even just Klopp simply talking about the future is bound to set the rumour mill into gear, and there are suggestions he’s thinking of taking a sabbatical at the end of his Anfield deal.
Earlier this year, Klopp told Kicker reporters (via the Metro) that he may look to take a year out at the end of the 2021/22 season.
“If I decide for myself that I can’t go on anymore, I’ll take a break and in that year I’d have to make a definite decision [if he wants to continue at all],” he said.
“I have absolute energy, but I have one problem: I can’t do ‘a little bit.’ I can only do ‘all or nothing.’”
Talking aside the fact I’d love it if the German signed a lifetime contract with Liverpool, it’s good for him that he’d be willing to bow out on a high and recharge before going again.
He doesn’t mention whether he’d move to another club – so there is a chance that he’d simply take a year out, leave an underling in charge, and return the following season.
Only time will tell. That being said, Gerrard could very well be capable of steering the ship at Anfield in a few years’ time.